Bookcase Bizarro: MG/YA Book Reviews and Author News, May 2026

MG/YA Book Reviews by a MG/YA Author

Table of Contents

Author News

MG/YA Book Reviews

In the Garden

Author News

Welcome to the May edition of Bookcase Bizarro!

I’m very excited to announce that my book, Shadow Apprentice, is now available in paperback at the Toronto Public Library! The librarians at my local branch told me that this likely happened because readers requested the book, so many thanks to those of you who did so. This kind of support makes a huge difference to a writer, especially an indie writer, since it’s harder for us to get our books included in library collections. (And the proliferation of AI slop has just made this challenge even more difficult.)

Readers who request books from their local libraries offer the kind of social proof that libraries pay attention to. Indie writers aren’t vetted by gatekeepers in the way that traditionally published authors are. We usually don’t have big publishing houses to advocate for us, or critical editorial reviews to draw attention to our work (unless we pay for them). So it all comes down to readers: their views, recommendations, and opinions.

Personally, I love this about indie writing and publishing. I think that direct author-to-reader connections will only become more important in the Age of AI.

Bookcase Bizarro readers will know that my latest book, Rogue Wizard: A Garrison Creek Prequel Novella is available as a free digital download for subscribers. Paperback copies are now available from Amazon or Bookshop.org (or your favourite local bookstore or library).

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I joined my first BookFunnel newsletter promotion this month. BookFunnel newsletter promos are a group marketing event where authors team up to offer free books in exchange for a newsletter sign-up. All books are listed on a single landing page that readers can scroll through and download the books that interest them. Each author promotes this landing page through their own newsletters and social media channels. To help build my email list, I plan to join in these promos 3-4 times/year.

I recently upgraded my BookFunnel plan so I could integrate BookFunnel with my email service provider (MailerLite). New subscribers are automatically added to my email list, and an automated series of emails introduces them to my newsletter and books. In marketing lingo, this is referred to as an “email onboarding sequence.” (Honestly, who invents these labels?) As of May 14th, I’ve welcomed 20 new subscribers.

As there were no middle-grade or YA offerings that were a good fit for my book, I joined an all-ages Sci-Fi Fantasy newsletter promo. While browsing the listings, I found some books that looked intriguing and downloaded them. I want to read more indie authors, so this seems like a good way to experiment without spending money.

If you want to check out all the free Sci-Fi Fantasy eBooks on offer, click the button below:

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Speaking of finding more indie authors, ALLi: The Alliance of Independent Authors, has just launched a new indie author bookstore. It not only showcases quality books by member authors but also aspires to be a one-stop destination, introducing people to authors committed to ALLi’s ethical, professional self-publishing guidelines. This is especially important at a time when AI-generated books are flooding the market, making it difficult for authors who produce quality work to be discovered and for readers to find them. The bookstore will act as a kind of curator in an over-saturated marketplace.

I’ve listed both Rogue Wizard and Shadow Apprentice in the bookstore. I especially liked that I could select which kind of payment link to provide, and it could vary with each book. For Shadow Apprentice, I supplied a universal book link that allows readers to choose which retailer they want to buy from. For Rogue Wizard, I supplied a link to my own website, where readers can either sign up to my newsletter for a free eBook, or buy a paperback from Amazon or Bookshop.org. I’m excited to be part of such a forward-thinking publishing initiative.

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This month, we accompany an army of insects to the New York Public Library for an exhibition that highlights their amazing impact on the earth throughout history, all in a nifty graphic novel format (and with plenty of commentary from the insects themselves). It’s non-fiction, graphic novel time at Bookcase Bizarro!

A quick note to new readers: books that are available from the Toronto Public Library will be marked #TPL, because books don’t have to be new or owned in order to be loved.

MG/YA Book Reviews

Winner of the ALA Alex Award 2025

Inspired by the sixth extinction and the insect crisis, Peter Kuper’s graphic novel takes readers on a 400-million-year historical journey that starts at the New York Public Library. Butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, cicadas, ants, and bees flock to an exhibition that chronicles their impact on the world, and the scientists who studied them. The insects’ own commentaries on the displays and their relationship with human societies create a visually stunning smorgasbord of words, history and science that tells the multi-faceted story of an overlooked and sometimes despised class of animals, who are absolutely vital to sustaining life on earth.

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I’ll admit I haven’t always been a big fan of bugs. However, 30+ years of gardening have helped me to cultivate a greater appreciation for these fascinating animals. It has even helped me overcome my fear of spiders. (Except for the big, hairy ones. I’m still scared of those.) Insectopolis is a love letter to insects and natural history in graphic novel form. It does have a narrative structure that I won’t reveal, because doing so would reveal a huge spoiler right at the start of the story, and I think keeping that secret heightens the impact of the book. Suffice it to say that all life on Earth is inextricably intertwined with insects, and comparing oneself to an ant might be extremely useful in establishing perspective.

Since I don’t read the New York Times (where Kuper’s cartoons regularly appear), I didn’t know much about him. According to Wikipedia, he is: “… an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations.” It also mentions that as Kuper’s work has evolved, his comics and illustrations have gone from being separate, compartmentalized disciplines to merging together in ways that are breathtakingly on display throughout the pages of Insectopolis.

Kuper manages to tuck in plenty of political and social observations between the insects’ stories. We learn about scientists who were marginalized because of racism, who produced groundbreaking work while paying the bills with other jobs—who knew that moths could hear?—or kept on working through race riots despite considerable danger to themselves and their families. (The insects remark that one of these scientists isn’t even even mentioned in the exhibition.) Women scientists—their biographies and discoveries—are interspersed throughout the book, including the Mother of Entomology, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717). We learn how mosquitoes helped in warfare, were a decisive force in major battles, and how they influenced the development of slavery. We learn about insects that navigate using the stars or use the Earth’s magnetic forces for long-distance migration.

Inventiveness? Kuper’s got it in spades. One of my favourite sections is the Acknowledgments, where a group of fire ants prompts a New York Public Library computer to search its database for the credits. Another poignant section tells the story of a cicada, who’s living its first 17 years underground and turns to a tree to learn about the world above. Then there’s the powerful exchange between the ghosts of Rachel Carson, Margaret Collins, and a dragonfly, covering everything from the effects of insecticides on ecosystems to termites and civil rights. The tight integration of social studies, natural history, and environmental education in Insectopolis makes it perfect for classrooms. There’s so much that teachers could do with it.

Insectopia is one of those books that straddle different genres and different age groups. I would absolutely recommend it for older kids, especially ones that prefer non-fiction, scientific books, graphic novels, or even kids who don’t think of reading as a fun activity. (Note: Anyone reading this book should be old enough to handle basic information about sexual reproduction.) I’d also recommend it to people who don’t like graphic novels. I think it could really change some minds. It’s an easy recommendation for fans of alternative comics and graphic novels, and anyone who loves art and illustration. In fact, it’s hard to think of an audience who wouldn’t like this uniquely riveting book. If your local library doesn’t have a copy, request it. You won’t be sorry.

Highly recommended, 14+. (#TPL)

In the Garden

It’s been a busy time in the garden.

For the first time in 16 years (thanks to an irrigation system), I’m growing summer crops again. I started my tomatoes and peppers from seed, and have just started hardening them off (gradually exposing them to sunlight and outside weather before planting them in their permanent containers). Since I have a small gardening space, it was important to pick prolific cultivars. For peppers, I chose Jimmy Nardello and Escamillo varieties. For tomatoes, I chose Tiny Tim (dwarf) and Principe Borghese (semi-determinate) varieties.

The thrips and aphids seem to be in drastic decline, thank goodness. The Safer’s insecticidal soap concentrate that I bought certainly did its job, and the lettuce and chard both bounced back. It’s definitely helped to be a more observant waterer, so the plants don’t boomerang between being too dry or wet, two things that stress them out and make them more prone to bug infestations. This year, I learned that even indoor plants can sense the spring and grow more rapidly as the days lengthen.

Finally, after three tries (and two rounds of damping-off disease), I’ve finally managed to grow some spinach from seed. As weird as it sounds, I’ve only ever been able to grow spinach successfully once, and that was on the rooftop of my parents’ house during one rainy February 28 years ago. I’ve really had to watch my watering to make sure the seedlings stay nicely moist (but not overly wet), and I moved my grow light much closer to the tops of the plants to combat legginess. So far, so good!

The veins on the leaves of the largest Black Dragon coleus plant are starting to pop with pink, while the purple edges darken. The rescue hellebore has never produced so many flowers. My partner credits this with the two applications of composted chicken manure I applied last year. I switched to chicken manure from sheep manure last year after I couldn’t find any sheep manure that didn’t have municipal compost added to it. Since the municipal compost wasn’t properly sifted, it was littered with pieces of glass and plastic, and even nails and screws! The chicken manure I buy is 100% organic, comes in pelleted form and is very inexpensive to purchase from my local hardware store.

From L-R, T-B

Escamillo pepper, Tiny Tim tomato, Principe Borghese tomato, Jimmy Nardello peppers, leaf lettuce, Ruby Red Swiss chard, Space spinach, Black Dragon coleus, rescue hellebore.

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Thirteen-year-old Ermin is a gifted mechanic and the worst student at St. Anselm’s Training School for Orphans. She’s just failed her exams for the third time—something nobody’s ever done. Worse, Ermin’s been running her own repair business for money—something that’s expressly forbidden. If the headmistress finds out, Ermin will go to prison. Her future will be over before it’s even begun.

But that’s not her only secret.

Her best friends, Colin and Georgie, are wizards in a world where magic is strictly controlled. Ermin worries that her friends will be captured, drained of their power, then banished. When Georgie’s caught aiding the Wizard’s Resistance, Ermin repairs a broken flying carpet so all three of them can escape.

Hesitant to join the Resistance because of her lack of magical power, Ermin steals an experimental device from a wizard hunter that could destroy every wizard in the Creek. She’s faced with a choice: either smash the device or convert it into a different kind of weapon—one that not only helps wizards but just might get her an apprenticeship at the prestigious Guild Academy.

Ermin’s got one chance to get it right. If she fails, she risks losing her two best friends… and her dreams.

Find Shadow Apprentice at your local library, bookstore, or favourite online retailer.

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Thanks for being a Bookcase Bizarro reader! I’ll be back next month with more author news, and more MG and YA book reviews. See you then!

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